November 1, 2004—New research from ARC Advisory Group has been published which looks at trends in the RFID implementation practices of 24 companies. The clearest trend to emerge from the findings? Lacking near-term return on investment. (Surprise, surprise.) 23 of the 24 surveyed companies expect to need longer than 2 years to achieve ROI from their RFID investment. Also, of the many companies adopting a slap-and-ship approach to complying with retailer RFID mandates, some are finding that it allows secondary, unforseen capabilities, such as the improved routing of goods within a distribution center. The research notes that because the January 1, 2005 deadline is so close, many suppliers will only meet the bare minimum requirements. Such suppliers will look to expand their RFID implementations later, when tag and equipment prices have dropped and a critical mass of retailers have issued mandates.